Curcumin-Conjugated Gold Clusters for Bioimaging and Anticancer Applications.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Curcumin is a natural compound with known anticancer properties.
• Gold nanoparticles and clusters are increasingly explored for biomedical applications.
• Developing effective and targeted cancer therapies remains a critical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize curcumin-conjugated gold clusters (CUR-AuNCs) using a green method.
• To evaluate CUR-AuNCs as potential agents for cancer treatment and bioimaging.
• To characterize the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the synthesized CUR-AuNCs.

Main Methods:

• Green synthesis of CUR-AuNCs.
• Fluorescence spectroscopy for optical properties.
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for chemical bonding.
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for size and morphology.
• Time-resolved fluorescence for stability.
• Laser confocal imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for cellular distribution.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays on HeLa and COS-7 cell lines.

Main Results:

• CUR-AuNCs were successfully synthesized via a green route.
• The clusters exhibited stable red fluorescence (650 nm) upon visible light excitation (550 nm).
• FTIR confirmed the chemical linkage between gold and curcumin.
• TEM revealed uniform clusters of 1-3 nm in size.
• Cellular studies showed good distribution within cells.
• CUR-AuNCs demonstrated high toxicity to cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and low toxicity to normal cells (COS-7).

Conclusions:

• Curcumin-conjugated gold clusters are effectively synthesized using an eco-friendly approach.
• The synthesized CUR-AuNCs possess desirable properties for dual anticancer and bioimaging applications.
• These findings highlight the potential of CUR-AuNCs as targeted therapeutic and diagnostic agents in oncology.